Check or coin controlled vending-machine.



PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905.

P PI CHECK ORGOIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB; 19. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Suva mm Pal tz' 7: 0

No. 781,634. PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905. P. F. COX.

CHECK OR COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE. APILIGATION rugnnrnn. 19. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

O swam m g i 4} an! 1'? 00m Patented February 7, 1905.

FFICE.

PAUL FLEMMING COX, OF BATTLECREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO POSTUM CEREAL COMPANY, ILIMITED, OF BATTLECREEK,

MICHIGAN.

CHECK OR COIN CONTROLLED VENDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming m of Letters Patent No. 781,634, dated February 7, 1905. Application filed February 19, 1904. Serial No. 194,410.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatI, PAUL FLEMMING Cox, of Battlecreek, in the county of Calhoun'and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check or Coin Controlled Vending-Machines; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification;

This invention is an improved automatic check or coin controlled machine especially designed for vending small commodities in packages.

The object of the present invention is to produce a machime of very simple construction which will contain a large number of packages that can be successively ejected by means of a reciprocating pusher or slide,

which is manually forced in one direction to e ect a package and is then returned automatically by a spring. The ejector is automatically locked upon its return to normal position by its own gravital action. The weight of the coin or check will'cause the unlocking of the ejector and raise it into position for operation and hold it there until it is moved sufficiently to insure its engagement with devices which prevent its retraction until the full ejecting stroke has been made, after making which the ejector drops by gravity so as to return freely, unencumbered or unhindered by the weight of packages in the machine. Means are also provided to prevent cheating the machine by counterfeit coins or checks.

I will now describe the invention in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and refer to the claims for summaries of the various features and combinations of parts for which I desire protection.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete machine with outer side piece removed to show the interior parts and parts of the stand and commodity-holder being broken away. Fig. 2 is a part front view and part sectional elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. sis an enlarged detail view showing the ejectinglever in theaet of discharging a package.

orally-extending flanges, to which the sides of the casing B of the machine are attached. The front flange has a forwardly-projecting portion (1?, upon which the ejected packages are delivered by gravity, said packages sliding down an inclined plane?) within the lower part of the casing, formed of a plate of wood or metal and extending upwardly and 'rearwardly to and below the commodity-holders C 0, two being shown in the machine illustrated in the drawings. These holders may be conveniently formed of channeled Wooden bars or troughs secured in vertical position within the casing and terminating a shortdistance above the plate 6.

To the lower ends of the sides of the channels C are attached metal plates c, which project inwardly sufliciently to engage and uphold the lowermost package and all superimposed packages in the channel, said plates 0 being preferably serrated or toothed, as at 0',

the serrations pointing rearwardly.

most package in the channel to he pushed rearwardly off the plates 0 without disturbing the superimposed packages. The open fronts of the channels are closed by the front wall B of the casing, which is preferably an ornamented metal plate secured in any suitable manner to the casing so that it can be conveniently removed when it is desired to fill the channels. This front B may be provided with sight-openings B, so that the condition of the contents of the channels can be inspected or the need of refilling can be seen without the necessity of removing said front. The plate B does not extend entirely to the bottom of the channels 0, but rests upon the top of the swelled, front B which covers the plate 6 and parts of the ejecting mechanism. Said front has an opening 7f coincidentwith the flange and it is provided with coin or check openings b, one for and adjacent to each commodity-channel (J. A distinct set of ejecting devices is provided for each channel C, and as such describe only one in parts 'of the several ejecting mechanisms in like manner in the drawings.

Beneath the coin-inlet slot 6 is a verticallydisposed coin-guide.D,'\ vhich is attached to t ie under side of front B and directs the coin the operative devices are all constructed alike I will downwardly onto the rear end of the ejectingchannel C,

lever F. In this coin-guide is arranged a magnet 1) ad acent to a slot or gap (Z in the guide, over which gap the com Wlll pass by the slot the magnet will attract it and deflect it into gap (Z, so that it will fall therethrough and not touch the lever F. Consequently the ejector will not be released. The washer falling through slot (Z may drop onto plate 0 and pass out of the machine, or it' may be directed into the coin-holder, so as to beretained in the machine.

The ejecting-lever F is pivoted at f on the inner end of a slide G, which is guided in a bracket H (attached'to the inner side of front 4 below the coin-guide I), as shown) and in a slot in the front B, through which the slide projects, so as to be manipulated by hand. The front 13* has an abutment B below the projecting end of the slideto protect the latter from lateral shocks and prevent its being depressed.

The slide G and lever F are normally retracted (in the position shown in Fig. 1) by means of a helical spring g, attached to the bracket H and to a pin or lug on the inner end of the slide,- as shown. The inner end of ejector-lever F is T-headed, as shown at F, said head being almost as wide as the adjacent so that when the lever is in proper position its ends will rest upon the plates 0 and eject the lowermost package. This head also serves as a means ends will engage the serrations a (see Figs. 3 and 4) if it is attempted to withdraw it. This head F furthermore serves as a weight to over-balance the lever and depress its inner end and normally uphold its outer end,'the inner end of slide G being beveled, as at to ,serve as a stop to limit the gravita'l descent of .head F. The normal position of lever F, as shown in Fig. l, is, with its head F, depressed below the plane of the plates 0, so that if the slide was pushed inward a package would not be e ected.

of the casing,

detail, but letter similar l l Fig. 3)

On the front or outer end of lever F is a lateral lug f, which is adapted to engage a notch (11 in the lower end of coin-guide D when the ejector is fully retracted, and thus lock the ejector and slide in retracted position, Fig. 1, until the proper coin' is dropped into the coin-guide. outer end of lever F causes the lever to assume the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, raising its head F into position to engage the lowermost package and to pass above the plates 0, as indicated in full lines, Fig. 4. The coin will rest upon the leverand uphold itin ejecting position by its weight until the slide and lever are moved inward sufficiently to enter the head F of the lever above the plates 0. The coin is arrested atthe bottom (Z of the coin-guide by the lever, and as the lever passes on from beneath the coin the latter drops out and down onto the coin guide or chute E, by which it is directed downwardly into the coin-receptacle a. It will be noted that the ejector-lever is tilted into ejecting position bythe weightofthe coin, which does not have any cam action, such as is common in this class of machines. This simplifies the machine and lessens the power required to operate the slide and lever, and it lessens liability to derangement of parts, as there is no pressure or squeeze between the coin or check and any moving or fixed parts. parts being in position shown in full lines, Fig. l, the ejector is out of operative position, even if itcould be moved inward, and it is, moreover, locked by engagement of lug f with notch d, When the end of the. lever, releasing it and it by its weight and raising head F. into the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1. The slide and lever can then be moved inward, so as to engage the lowermost package P and eject it from the holder. The head F passes above plates 0 in the ejecting operation (see and will engage the serrations a and prevent the ejector being retracted until it has been moved fully inward, so as to force the lowermost package out of the holder. The coin meanwhile has dropped off into the coin-receiver. As soon as the head F clears plates 0 it drops below them, tilting the lever, and spring immediately returns the parts to the )osition shown in Fi 1 and In 7 engages notch d and locks the ejector until it is again released by a coin or check. The ejector is thus released and set in ejecting position simply by the weight of the'coin. When once the e jectingoperation is begun, it cannot cease until completed. TV hen completed, the ejector is by gravity position and can impeded by holder,

The

be retracted without being the weight of packages in the and it is also locked by gravity.

machine can contain any desired numdepressing thrown into inoperative apparatus, the combination of a commodity-.

holder, a reciprocating slide, an oscillating,

ejcctinglever pivoted to oscillate freely on the inner end of said slide and normally as-, suming by gravity an inoperative position; with means for directing a coin or check onto the outer end of said lever whereby its inner end is overbalanced and raised into and held in operative position; means engaged by the lever when in operation preventing its retraction until it has completed its ejecting stroke, a spring connected to the slide for retracting the slide and lever, and means engaged'by the outer end of the lever for locking it inits retracted inoperative position, substantially as described.

in combination, a horizontally-reciprocating slide, a gravital oscillating level-pivoted to oscillate freely on and reciprocating with said slide and having a weighted inner end, provided with a laterally-projecting lug or catch on its outer end; with a coin-guide above the slide, l'iaving a notch adapted to be engaged by said catch on the ejecting-lever when the latter is in inoperative and retracted position.

3. The combination of a commodity-holder,

toothed plates at and on opposite sides of the ing-lever pivoted to oscillate freely on the inner end of said slide, and having a T-shaped inner end adapted to pass above said plates in ejecting a package and engage the said opposite toothed plates, and also adapted todrop by gravity below said plates after the ejection, .said lever also having a catch on its outer end; with a coin-guide above the slide having a notch adapted to be engaged by the said catch on the ejector when the latter is in inoperative and retracted position, substantially as described.

4. In a coin-controlled vending apparatus, the combination of a commodity-holder, ser rated. plates at the bottom of the holder, a reciprocating slide' in front of said holder, having a beveled inner end, a spring for retracting said slide,a gravital ejecting-lever pivoted on the inner end of said slide and normally resting upon the beveled end thereof, the inner end of said slide being T-headed and adapted to pass above said serrated plates in ejecting a package and then drop by gravity below said-plates, and a laterally-projecting catch on the outer end of said lever; with a coin-inlet, a coin-guide below the inlet and above the slide, having a notch in its lower end adapted to be engaged by the catch on the eject-or. a coin-receiver, and means for directing the coins dropping from the lever into said receiver, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL FLEMB'UNG COX. in presence of R. F. HOFFMARTER, Onas. G. GREEN. 

